Week 6 Waiver Wire Pickups: First Base (1B) & Third Base (3B)

The 2014 MLB season is about a month old, and while it is getting tougher to find players on the waiver wire that can upgrade your team across the board, the pool of available talent and sleepers is far from dried up. At the corner infield positions in particular, there are plenty of players that can help out in a variety of categories and league formats including NL-Only and AL-Only. The key is to know what your team is lacking in, and to seek out players that can bolster your weaknesses. With that in mind, here is a closer look at some first base and third base options that are widely available and can make an impact for your fantasy baseball teams.

 

Third Base Waiver Wire Options

Mark Reynolds (3B, MIL)

BALLER MOVE: Add in NL-Only Formats

ANALYSIS: Reynolds bashed a couple of more home runs this past week, bringing his season total up to 7. His 7 homers put him in a tie for sixth in the National League, and while his .229 average isn't likely to improve much if at all, his power isn't going anywhere. If anything, Reynolds is in his best situation since his time in Baltimore. He now has a hitter-friendly home park in Milwaukee, and with Ryan Braun sidelined, the Brewers are going to have to stick with him for his power potential, even when he is slumping. Reynolds is only owned in 13 percent of Yahoo! leagues, and given how hard power can be to come by, he shouldn't be sitting on the waiver wire in NL-Only leagues if you need help in the homer department.

 

Juan Uribe (3B, LAD)

BALLER MOVE: Add in NL-Only Formats

ANALYSIS: His power numbers have tailed off a bit, but Uribe continues to provide solid production across the board. He is currently hitting .325 with 4 home runs, 16 RBIs and 13 runs scored, putting him seventh among third basemen in the Yahoo! player rankings.

Uribe is only owned in 38 percent of Yahoo! leagues so there is still time to jump on the bandwagon. At some point, Uribe is going to slow down and become the hitter has been for the last decade, but in the meantime, why not enjoy hit hot start while it lasts.

 

Trevor Plouffe (3B, MIN)

BALLER MOVE: Add in Deeper Leagues

ANALYSIS: Plouffe's hot start to the year doesn't seem to be ending any time soon, and another solid week of production has him hitting .283 with 20 runs scored and 22 RBIs. Those totals are enough to put Plouffe in the top 10 in the AL in both runs scored and RBIs, and he is currently the sixth-best third baseman according to the Yahoo! player rater despite being owned in just 44 percent of Yahoo! leagues. While his career numbers suggest an eventual regression could occur, his current production is just too good not to take advantage of.

 

First Base Waiver Wire Options

Casey McGehee (1B, MIA)

BALLER MOVE: Add in NL-Only Formats

ANALYSIS: Although it's tough to recommend a first baseman that has yet to hit a home run, McGehee has been a steady bat in the surprisingly effective Miami lineup. He is currently hitting .305, and his 20 RBIs are tied for the 10th most in the National League. More importantly, he should continue to get plenty of pitches to hit and plenty of RBI opportunities as long as he continues to bat behind slugger Giancarlo Stanton. Given his lack of power, McGehee isn't a great fit for all teams. However, his steady average and solid RBI production give him plenty of value in NL-Only leagues.

 

James Loney (1B, TAM)

BALLER MOVE: Add in Deeper Leagues

ANALYSIS: He was hitting .292 last Monday, and a week later, Loney has raised his average to .330, which ranks fifth in the American League. The bad news is that he still has just one home run on the year, but he does have 18 RBIs and 11 doubles so he doing some damage at the plate. Of course, Loney has never been a big home run hitter, but he has hit around .300 throughout his career.

He is currently owned in just 23 percent of Yahoo! leagues, and while he won't fix all your problems, Loney can bring up your team average and make a decent complementary piece if you can get your power numbers from elsewhere.

 

Nick Swisher (1B, CLE)

BALLER MOVE: Continue Scouting

ANALYSIS: Swisher is having a horrible start to the 2014 season, hitting an abysmal .203 with 2 homers and 12 RBIs. His poor numbers have caused his ownership to slip to just 42 percent in Yahoo! leagues, but while some owners have hit the panic button, this could be the perfect time to buy low on Swisher. After all, he has hit at least 21 home runs in each of the past nine seasons and has topped 70 RBIs seven times during the stretch. Meanwhile, slow starts aren't out character for Swisher. He is going to find his stroke eventually, and when he does, he will provide some home runs and RBIs. At the very least, you need to keep a close eye on Swisher and grab him when he starts to heat up.